De nombreux clients nous demandent si nous pouvons utiliser des plastiques biosourcés ou des matériaux plastiques recyclés dans nos productions. Évidemment, la réponse est OUI !
However, there are several ways to make recycled plastic products.
Plastiques recyclés, Plastiques recyclables, Plastiques biosourcés ou plastiques biodégradables – Faisons le point !
There is a very large variability in the recycling rate of plastics by country, but especially by family of plastics. Indeed, 7 families of recycling exist for plastics:
- PET
- HDPE
- PVC
- LDPE
- PP
- EPS
- OTHER
So you will have already understood that "exotic" bio-based plastics are already classified as "OTHER", Biobased plastics are not automatically recyclable ! and the plastics Biobased products are not automatically biodegradable!
On the other hand, plastics recycled are necessarily recyclable (CQFD), but the reverse is not really the case (at least not in practice!)
Les matières telles que l’ABS, Le PC (Polycarbonate), PU (Polyurethanes), PA (Polyamides), sont également renvoyés vers le segment “AUTRES”.
This does not mean that they are not recyclable plastics....proof of this is that we make products from these materials, from recycled plastics. (so it is technically possible, and the supply chains exist! )
Two approaches to the integration of biobased or recycled material:
- It's make or break (literally and figuratively)
- we sit down, we analyse, we do things in order
Which one do you think was chosen?
Let's take a simple example (a piece of our logo, it will avoid that others steal the images...)
Injection 100% recyclé
Injection 70% recyclé (mélange vierge / recyclé)
Injection sandwich
2K injection moulding
Our press 550 tonnes material sortingThis allows the combination of sandwich injection and bi-material moulding
To facilitate recycling at the end of life, we recommend using materials from the same families, which will make sorting easier. However, it is possible to combine different material families (follow our guide)
Note à l’attention des designers et chefs de produits : L’utilisation de plastiques recyclés, peut avoir une influence sur le choix des coloris du produit fini, ou de son aspect (texture, rendu,…)
There are two choices in this case:
- Claim the use of recycled plastics (assume the aspect, communicate it, and make it a marketing argument)
- We hide it (so we use technological devices to hide it)
It may be interesting, for example, to use mechanical reinforcements (fibreglass, mineral filler, etc.) in the "hidden" part of the product, in order to give it a little more mechanical resistance, without having the inconvenience of the appearance of the surfaces.
Hybster's project managers are at your disposal to assist you.
Interesting links on recycled plastics:
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